Ehrsam v. Brown

91 P. 179, 76 Kan. 206, 1907 Kan. LEXIS 239
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJuly 5, 1907
DocketNo. 14,901
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 91 P. 179 (Ehrsam v. Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ehrsam v. Brown, 91 P. 179, 76 Kan. 206, 1907 Kan. LEXIS 239 (kan 1907).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Porter, J.:

By a contract in writing Casper Brown purchased from J. B. Ehrsam & Sons, for use in his flouring-mill, two Wolf gyrators. The gyrators were shipped direct from Wolf Brothers, the manufacturers, at Chambersburg, Pa., to Brown at Oakley, Kan. He received them, paid the freight charges from St. Louis to Oakley, and set them up in his flouring-mill. A controversy arose over the quality of the machines and he refused to pay the balance of the purchase-price. The contract provided that the title to the machines should remain in the vendors until the purchase-money was paid, and Ehrsam & Sons, having filed á mechanic’s lien upon the mill property, brought this suit against Casper Brown to foreclose the lien. Defendant filed his answer and cross-petition, alleging that the gyrators were purchased upon an express warranty, as follows:

“That at the time of making said order, and in com sideration of the promises and agreements on the part of this defendant, and as a further inducement for placing said order with plaintiffs, said plaintiffs promised and agreed with defendant that said machines would be constructed of good material, of first-class workmanship, supplied with necessary and suitable fixtures, and in all respects suited for the work intended.”

He alleged a breach of this warranty, and asked damages resulting therefrom. On the trial the jury [208]*208found that an express warranty had been made, awarded damages caused by unseasoned materials used in the construction of the machines, and gave a small judgment for plaintiffs. Proceedings in error in this court followed, with the result that the judgment was reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial. (Ehrsam v. Brown, 64 Kan. 466, 67 Pac. 529.)

The contract of purchase, which consisted of the written order and' the letter of acceptance, is set out in full in the former opinion and need not be recited here. The former judgment was reversed for error in admitting parol evidence to show an express warranty, the contract being in writing and on its face complete.

After the case was remanded to the district court defendant filed an amended answer and counter-claim, and set up an implied instead of an express warranty. A second trial was had on the amended pleadings, in April, 1902, in which the jury returned a verdict in favor of defendant for the sum of $43.50, and made special findings. On motion of plaintiffs the verdict and findings were set aside, a new trial ordered, and the cause continued. Thereafter the defendant, Casper Brown, died, and the action was revived against his administratrix and heirs at law, who are defendants in error herein. At the April, 1905, term of the district court the cause was submitted to the court on a stipulation providing in substance that the court should determine which party was entitled to judgment upon the pleadings, the evidence introduced upon the second trial, and the special findings and verdict of the jury, reserving to each party the benefit of all 'objections and exceptions made during the progress of the cause. The findings of the jury referred to in the stipulation were numbered from 1 to 54, among which were the following:

“(1) Ques. Did the plaintiffs contract and agree with Casper Brown to furnish him two gyrators for use in his mill at Oakley, Kan.? Ans. Yes.
[209]*209“(2) Q. Did plaintiffs, at the time of making such sale, know that the machines were to be used for a special purpose in and about defendant’s mill? A. Yes.
“(3) Q. Did plaintiffs, or their representatives, at the time of making said sale or taking the order from the defendant, examine the mill property of the defendant and know what would be required in the way of changes in and about said mill in order to install said gyrators in said mill? A. Yes.
“(4) Q. Did the said defendant, Casper Brown, have an opportunity to inspect said machines at the time of giving his order therefor? A. No.
“ (5) Q. Did the defendant, Brown, rely on the representations of the plaintiffs as to the character and quality of said machines and their fitness for use in his mill? A. Yes.
“(6) Q. Were the plaintiffs familiar with the construction and character of the machine described as Wolf gyrators, which they sold to the defendant? A. Yes.
“(7) Q. Were the machines ordered by the defendant from the plaintiffs constructed of good material, of good workmanship, and well'suited for the purpose intended? A. No.
“(8) Q. If you answer the last question ‘No,’ state what the defects were. .A. Defects caused by unseasoned lumber.
“(9) Q. What was the actual value of the machines? A. $375.
“ (10) Q. How much do you allow the defendant as general damages on account of plaintiffs’ failure to furnish the defendant with perfect machines? A. $500.”
“(15) Q. How much damage do you allow the defendant on account of loss of profits on the usual product of his mill? A. $200.”
“(19) Q. How much damage do you allow defendant for the injury to the grade of the flour referred to? A. $76.”
“(30) Q. Did the plaintiffs manufacture said gyrators? A. They did not.”
“(32) Q. Did the plaintiffs, or either of them, see said gyrators before they were delivered to the defendant? A. No.
[210]*210“(33) Q. Where were said gyrators manufactured? A. Chambersburg, Pa.
“(34) Q. Where was the plaintiffs’ place of business at the time of the sale and delivery of said gyrators? A. Enterprise, Kan.
“(35) Q. When the gyrators were delivered to the defendant, did he examine them for the purpose of ascertaining the quality of material of which they were constructed? A. No.”
“ (37) Q. How much, if anything, do you allow the defendant for damage resulting directly or proximately from the use of unseasoned lumber in the manufacture of said gyrators? A. $893.50.”
“(42) Q. When‘gyrators like those in controversy were put upon the market by the manufacturers, were they intended to be a complete machine ready to be attached, by proper connections, and made a part of a flouring-mill? A. Yes.
“(43) Q. Leaving out all considerations of the quality of the machines, were said gyrators otherwise properly planned and constructed for the purposes for which they were sold ? A. Yes.”
“(50) Q. At the time the plaintiffs sold the gyrators to the defendant, or at any time before the defendant commenced using said gyrators, did the plaintiffs, or either of them, know that said gyrators were made of green or unseasoned lumber? A. No.”
“(53) Q. Were said gyrators of the kind ordered "by the defendant of the plaintiffs? A. No.
“(54) Q. If you answer ‘No’ to the last question, state in what respect and wherein said gyrators failed to be of the kind ordered by the defendant from the plaintiffs. A.

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Bluebook (online)
91 P. 179, 76 Kan. 206, 1907 Kan. LEXIS 239, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ehrsam-v-brown-kan-1907.